Religion

Megan Quinn: St. John's rings in summer with Celtic event

As summer unfolds with warm weather, green leaves and blooming flowers, St. John's Episcopal Church will celebrate the return of summer with another installation of its Celtic music performances.

"Solas," an ongoing series of Celtic music meant to reflect on faith and the seasons, follows the traditions of Celtic Christianity. The evening of Celtic music and worship is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday, June 1, at St John's Episcopal Church, 1419 Pine St., Boulder.

The service and meal are free and open to the public, regardless of religious background, the Rev. Susan Springer wrote in an email.

Solas is the Irish word for light but also could mean beacon, assurance or solace, according to Springer.

For the Sunday Celtic celebration, the songs and celebration will highlight the month of June and its flowers, green grass and other signs that summer is in full swing.

"The month of June is a time to celebrate the flowering Earth, from the dawn of the cosmos up unto the present hour," Springer wrote about the performance.

St. John's has put together several Solas events, including a holiday celebration in December that reflected on the holiday season with a reflective candlelight ceremony. The performance included harp, fiddle, Irish drum and flute.

While the winter Solas event centered on the quiet, meditative aspects of candlelight and music as a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the June Solas event will celebrate the return of summer in the form of leafy trees, flowers, animals and other natural life.

Celtic spirituality underscores a deep connection with the earth as a mother figure and also uses poetry, art, storytelling and song to make worship an experience that draws together all the senses, Springer wrote.

In an invitation to the event, Springer asked participants to appreciate the way the Earth awakens as summer approaches.

"Sing and pray for the continued diversity and fecundity of all Creation. Let your heart dance to the artistry of Celtic musicians," she wrote in the invitation. "Hear sacred readings and reflect. Share consecrated bread and wine with a gathered community that honors creation."

The Solas events are done mostly in song. The June Solas event, like the three performances before it, are meant to emulate some of the hallmarks of Celtic Christianity, such as hospitality, equality and inclusion, according to Springer.

After the performance, participants are asked to share a simple meal.

Among the musicians who will perform during the event is composer and Benedictine brother Stefan Andre Waligur. Waligur will play keyboard and lead singing in a call-and-response style of chant, Springer wrote.

Waligur's music is used by churches across the country, and he regularly leads contemplative services at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

His chants, which blend Celtic spirituality and an Indian Kirtan form, have been called music that "soothes the mind, even as it instructs the soul," according to a news release from St. John's Episcopal.

Waligur also connects with other faith-based musicians in the Boulder area, including Jewish groups, to contribute to worship that includes "chanting, poetry, heart-sharing, and breaking bread," he wrote in a Facebook post.

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